Levu echinus Zelazny, 2011

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 43-44

Levu echinus Zelazny , sp. nov.

( Fig. 163)

Description. Forewings 2.0 times longer than wide, length: male 3.2–4.0 mm (mean = 3.7, n= 6), female 3.6–4.4 mm (mean = 3.8, n= 5). Colour stramineous to light brown; end of fore femora as well as fore and middle tibiae light orange, rarely legs all orange (not in holotype). Forewings white, powdered; costal and apical margins tinted with orange. Rostrum surpassing hind coxae; subantennal processes connected to margins of facial carinae. Forewings with Sc+R fork well before middle of wing; Ms1 branched just before end of its basal third; a large triangle at base of Ms1. Male genital styles elongated; proximal dorsal process short, distal dorsal process elongated, both well separated. Aedeagus with stem abruptly widening before apical part; apical portion broad, tapering towards end; on the right, dorsal side, a flat lobe, its apical margin bearing fine spines.

Etymology. The species name is a Latin noun ( echinus = a sea-urchin) used in apposition.

Type material. Holotype ♂ (forewing 3.6 mm), INDONESIA: WEST PAPUA; labels: 1) WEST NEW GUINEA/ VOGELKOP: Kebar Val./ W of Manokwari , 550 m / 4–31.I.1962 2) Malaise Trap 3) S. Quate &/ L. Quate / Collectors ( BPBM) . Paratypes. INDONESIA: WEST PAPUA: Vogelkop: Bomberai , 700–900 m, 4. VI .1959, 2 ♀ (fw. 3.6, 3.7), J.L. Gressitt; Fak Fak, Agric. Station , 1. VI .1959, 1 ♂ (fw. 3.2), T . C. Maa ; INDONE- SIA : PAPUA: Cyclops Mts. , Ifar , 300 m, 21. VI .1959, 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (fw. 3.4), T . C. Maa; Wisselmeren: Kamo-Debei div., 1700 m, 4,13. VIII.1955, 1 ♂ (fw. 3.9) 1 ♀ (fw. 4.4), J.L. Gressitt; Urapura, Kamo V ., 11.VIII.1955, 1 ♂ (fw. 3.9), J.L. Gressitt; Nabire, S. Geelvink Bay, 1–20 m, 2–9 VII .1962, 1 ♂ (fw. 3.4), J.L. Gressitt; PAPUA NEW GUINEA: NE, Swart Val., Karubaka , 1400–1450, 6,12. XI.1958, 1 ♂ (fw. 4.0) 1 ♀ (fw. 4.1), J.L. Gressitt (all BPBM) .

Distribution. New Guinea.

Diagnosis. Levu echinus shows similarities to L. candidus sp. nov., also from New Guinea, because of its white forewings. However, it has light orange fore- and middle tibiae and is usually smaller. The males can be easily recognized by the large right lobe on the apical portion of the aedeagus which bears fine spines at the end.